ON THE BEACH AT GIBRALTAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 43, 12 August 1911, Page 10 (Supplement)

ON THE BEACH AT GIBRALTAR.

Smugglers, when getting their tobacco up-country (says the London Standard), are constantly mulcted by the carbineros; so the further from'the coast the higher becomes the price of tobacco. One often sees men stopped who are obviously packed with tobacco, and who are allowed to proceed on their way after giving the carabineros a douceur. Those on donkeys or mules often hand a cigar to each carabinero as they pass, so that their pack shall not be'searched. On the field paths one sees women coming back from the market being searched; in fact, being mildly prodded into generosity by a carabinero.

Boatmen are hired to take out dogs with tobacco, at about a peseta a dog, and throw them into the water at a, dark hour of the night. The dogs can take up to fifty pounds of tobacco. This kind of work is only for a few hours, and suits the temperament of the Andalusian youth, and so afterwards they find it hard to stick to regular work; hence a common saying: "El vale nada mus que para tirar perros" ("He's of no good for anything but throwing dogs over"). If the boatman is in a boat near a shindy beach there is the risk of the bullet missing the dog and hitting the man bv riochetting oil' the stones. So on qu,e>, nights one sometimes hears him exclaimMaldito, maldito; lay piedras!" ("Confound you, confound you! there are stones!"). The dogs are, as always, having a bad time, and it takes some of his Majesty s newly-arrived officers a little while to get accustomed to the beach; they soon, however, like many others, are glad if there are only dead 'dogs that the sun shmes on and the waves kisstor there are animals so much worse to see and-smell! Though dead dogs sadden us more than dead donkeys. There is a very clever canine smuggler on the I beach just now, who, when he is passing close to a carabine™ and is in danger of being shot at, always makes great bounds ~,to the air, and so the carabmcros invariably miss him. Long may they do so. He must be as disconcerting as a snipe. 6